All the Arts, All the Time

Arrested Bell city official gets his street-art close-up in downtown L.A.

May 20, 2011 | 2:18
pm

Times reporter Ruben Vives writes Friday in the L.A. Now blog about street-art posters that have begun appearing in downtown L.A. that depict disgraced Bell city administrator Robert Rizzo, who was arrested last year as part of a larger crackdown on corruption in the small Southern California city.

The posters feature artistic renderings of Rizzo's mug shot. Last year, The Times reported that Bell city officials were paying themselves exorbitant salaries and engaging in other forms of serious misconduct. The series of articles was instrumental in leading to the arrest and departure of many Bell officials, including then-Mayor Oscar Hernandez.

The appearance of the Rizzo-themed street art coincides with the exhibition "Art in the Streets" at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. The controversial show, running through August, spotlights the work of street and graffiti artists from around the world.

"Art in the Streets" is scheduled to travel to the Brooklyn Museum in 2012.